Sleep Number vs. Memory Foam Beds. What's your experience?

[AristocatFan]

DH and I are shopping for a much needed new bed. Current mattress is 16yrs old and is causing us both back pain. I've been researching the Sleep Number and the Memory Foam, most reviews are about 50/50. You either love it or hate it. DH wants the Sleep Number but I don't want to spend the money. And since he works in Texas through the week and is only home on weekends I think it should be more my choice. But then if I pick something we don't like, he'll never let me hear the end of it. I'd like to just try the Memory Foam toppers but he feels that's a waste of money and we should just invest in a whole new bed that will last longer.(I'm tempted to just go ahead and do the topper and see if he notices)

So what's your opinions of these beds/mattresses?

 

[phorsenuf]

DH and I are shopping for a much needed new bed. Current mattress is 16yrs old and is causing us both back pain. I've been researching the Sleep Number and the Memory Foam, most reviews are about 50/50. You either love it or hate it. DH wants the Sleep Number but I don't want to spend the money. And since he works in Texas through the week and is only home on weekends I think it should be more my choice. But then if I pick something we don't like, he'll never let me hear the end of it. I'd like to just try the Memory Foam toppers but he feels that's a waste of money and we should just invest in a whole new bed that will last longer.(I'm tempted to just go ahead and do the topper and see if he notices)

So what's your opinions of these beds/mattresses?

We got a sleep number bed a few months ago. We've been eyeballing them for years and finally decided to make the investment. I have a bad back and fibromyalgia and I've been sleeping so good ever since we got the bed. Wish we had done it sooner! I like that I can adjust the firmness or softness depending how I feel.
I've tried the memory foam ones and didn't like them. Plus I hear they get hot.

 

[Deb Quen of Colorado]

We had a sleep number and hated it. Maybe because I am a side sleep and just never got comfortable... not sure. It ended up being the guest bed and then we sold it on craigs list.

I want to go to a hotel that has the memory foam and try it out. I know there are hotels that have the sleep number bed out there.. maybe a few weekend get aways would be a good investment.

 

[Mickey527]

I slept on a sleep number bed for almost a week. I like a mid firm bed, so I had it set at 45. It felt too soft so the next night I had it on 50. I tried that for the rest of the time.
I am also a side sleeper and I woke every morning with pain like pressure pain on my left hip. It was really uncomfortable to walk for the first few minutes each day till my hot shower got the aches out.
I bought a temperpedic type mattress (11" foam) from Sleepy's and haven't slept so great in years.
I sleep through the night, wake up without any pain and can't wait to get back into bed at night.
The only problem I have with my mattress is I HATE being cold. My feet are always cold.
I used to have a heated mattress pad on my regular mattress but I can't use it on the memory foam because the foam reacts to the heat of your body and if you heat it with a mattress pad it won't comform to your body.
I bought a heated blanket and used it last night. I hate the heat being on top of me, I like it better when I slept on top of the heat.
Blankets just don't seem to work to warm my feet. I am going to pull out the sewing machine and stitch up some of those rice bags for my cold feet.

 

[phorsenuf]

I pretty much only sleep on my side and have no issues with the sleep number. Funny how one bed (any kind) can feel different to different people.
OP, you're just going to have to try them all out. As you can see, what works for one person may not for another.

 

[Mrs. Darcy]

We have memory foam and we love it. We've slept on sleep number beds in hotels and it felt like I was sleeping on an air mattress, not horrible but not great. The memory foam is great.

 

[Feralpeg]

I have a queen sleep number. It has separate air bladders for each side. Unfortunately, that causes a dip in the middle of the bed. I am the only one sleeping in the bed and always seem to end up in the dip in the middle. I wish that didn't happen. Other than that, I like the bed although it does seem to change settings on its own on a regular basis. Not sure why other than power fluctuations.

 

[All American]

We have the Sleep Number bed, and I love it!!! We bought it when I was pregnant. I was 7 months pregnant and in major pain with our old, cheapo mattress. Long story short, I was able to have the first good night's sleep I had had in a long time.

I love that I can change the firmness. I alternate between a 100, 65, and 45. I have found that changing the setting can help me fall asleep if I am having difficulty. I also LOVE that when my husband gets in and out of bed it doesn't shake my side and wake me up (I think memory foam does the same thing.)

Someone mentioned staying in the hotels that have these beds, and I know the Radisson just put them in their hotels (my cousin stayed in one recently). The problem is, when we bought our bed, you should start in the middle (at a 50) and sleep on it for about three days and adjust accordingly. On the bright side, the people in the store are pretty patient while you test the beds out.

Good luck with your search.

ETA: I think starting with the topper is a good place to start. I've heard the ones at Costco are pretty good.

 

[Lassie Lynne]

We bought a new pillowtop bed the same time my in-laws bought a memory foam. They offered to buy us one, but I had already arranged to buy the pillowtop....and I am soooo glad that I did not take them up on the offer. Recently I spend two weeks at my in-law's on their bed and I never slept worse in my whole life!!! My old bed that was 15 years old was better than that and my DH agreed with me too....sooo....I suggest trying to do a "test" night sleep at a hotel or on a friend's for any different type bed if possible before investing time and money.

 

[bicker]

We have a Sleep Number bed, and while it seemed okay at the start, we found ourselves having to augment it, month after month, just to be able to continue using it. First a foam insert; then a thicker one; then both; then a pillowtop on top; then a thicker pillowtop; etc. Now there's nothing to do to make it better. And it is not good enough.

We're thinking about the foam. My co-worker got one a month or two ago, and loves it.

 

[spurk5532]

Sleep Number mattresses are in Radisson Hotels if you wanted to try them out. The other thing is that they do take time to get used to. I love them! Select Comfort offers refurbished sleep number mattresses. They are ones that have been returned after using it for a trial period. They take them apart and rebuild them. They are just as good as buying a new one but a lot cheaper. My cousin's loved his sleep number so much he even took it to college with him and put it on his bed in his dorm.